Our Lady of Czestochowa

Opus Dei founder St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer in Mexico in 1970. / Credit: Opus Dei/Flickr

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 14, 2025 / 15:00 pm (CNA).

Opus Dei, the nearly century-old Rome-based personal prelature, has released a lengthy response to the October 2024 book “Opus,” accusing the book of giving “a false picture of Opus Dei based on distorted facts, conspiracy theories, and outright lies.”

The book, written by journalist Gareth Gore, describes Opus Dei as “a secretive, ultra-conservative Catholic sect” that “pushed its radical agenda within the Church and around the globe, using billions of dollars siphoned from one of the world’s largest banks.”

In a comprehensive analysis of the book published on Monday, Jan. 13, the Catholic organization — which was founded in 1928 by St. Josemaría Escrivá — said it provided Gore with “broad cooperation” while he researched the work, including offering “abundant documents and materials” and “many hours openly answering questions.”

Nonetheless, the group said “not a single good deed by anyone in Opus Dei is recorded; not a single response from Opus Dei is included to the many charges leveled against Opus Dei in the book.” 

Members of Opus Dei’s worldwide communications team indicated that “when we saw the marked bias of the book and its numerous factual errors, those of us who had been in contact with Gareth Gore from the Opus Dei Communications Office decided to prepare a document” to “correct the record and to provide an essential perspective that the author has withheld from readers of the book.”

“We have tried to separate truth from falsehood; to distinguish truths, half-truths, lies, and judgments and interpretations about intentions; to clarify false narratives by giving context and additional explanations,” the team of Opus Dei’s communicators explained.

The resulting 106-page document of “clarifications and fact-checking” effectively seeks to turn lemons into lemonade by addressing in one place all the principal criticisms Opus Dei has received during its nearly century of existence.

“We offer this document with a necessary premise: respect and openness towards critical views, which can usually be helpful,” the document states. “No human institution is perfect” and “being the bearer of a Christian charism does not grant immunity from error,” the authors acknowledge.

“Like other institutions of the Catholic Church, for years we have been following a path of greater awareness of our own weaknesses, which leads to a deeper empathy with wounded people and gives us new sensitivity and light on how to carry out our mission,” the authors continue. “For these reasons, we endeavour to listen to and learn from both fair and constructive criticism, as well as criticism that is neither fair nor constructive.”

Along with the explanatory document, Opus Dei updated its website to include a section on “Additional Sources for Clarification” that addresses both old and more recent controversies surrounding the organization.

Women baptized by Prem Bhai climb to his memorial singing devotional songs during a 2018 observance of the Catholic missionary. / Credit: Anto Akkara

Bangalore, India, Jan 14, 2025 / 14:30 pm (CNA).

Amid prospects of revival of an anti-conversion law passed in 1978, Christian leaders of Arunachal Pradesh state in northeast India expressed little concern over the development.

“We are the major religious community in the state and we do not expect the government to bring in harsh clauses to trouble us while implementing the court order,” Miri Stephen Thar, the Catholic president of the ecumenical Arunachal Christian Forum, told CNA on Jan. 14.

The revival of the dormant law, passed by the state legislature, has been brought about by the Guwahati High Court, which ordered the state government in September to “frame rules” within six months to implement the law.

The order came after a petition brought by an Indigenous rights activist.

In India, a law can be implemented only after “rules” to enforce it are framed and announced. But since this process had not been followed in Arunachal Pradesh, the conversion law has never been enforced since it was passed 46 years ago.

The latest development drew media attention on Dec. 27 when state Chief Minister Pema Khandu, heading the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, declared that his government will fulfil the order of the high court. 

Khandu made this announcement while addressing the silver jubilee celebration of the Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh in Itanagar, the state capital.

Though anti-conversion laws have been enacted by a dozen states, most of them in Hindu nationalist BJP-ruled states from the early 2000s onward, the law has been dormant in Arunachal Pradesh due to the legal flaw.

Compared with stringent laws passed in BJP-ruled states, the Arunachal anti-conversion law remains somewhat innocuous, prohibiting “conversions through force, inducement, or fraudulent means.” It directs a maximum punishment of two years. 

New legislation in other states has made prior permission from government officials mandatory for conversion, made prosecution easier, mandates that the burden of proof be shifted to the accused, and orders stringent punishment — including up to life imprisonment — and high penalties.

“We held a meeting of the Christian legislators [Jan. 13]. Seven of them attended,” said Thar, who is based in Itanagar. 

A meeting of all the 19 Christian legislators including seven belonging to the BJP in the 60-member state assembly, Thar said, “will be held soon to discuss our strategy to deal with this surprise development.”

“We will also hold a state-level convention soon to formulate Christian strategy to lobby with the government as anti-conversion laws are being misused to persecute Christians in several states,” Thar told CNA.

Studies say Christians are the largest religious group in the mountainous Arunachal Pradesh situated in the far east of India in the foothills of the snow-capped Himalayas, bordering China, Bhutan, and Myanmar.

Over 40% of the state’s 1.7 million people — mostly tribal inhabitants — are Christians. Ethnic tribals professing “Indigenous faith” form the second-largest demographic, followed by Buddhists and others.

“The government is duty bound to act on the high court order and frame the rules. That is a legal requirement,” Salesian Bishop George Palliparambil, who heads the Miao Diocese in the state, told CNA.

“The Christian community is powerful and diligent to guard against any misuse of the provisions,” Palliparambil said.

In India’s most populous state of northern Uttar Pradesh with a population of 231 million, hundreds of pastors and even senior Catholic priests had been imprisoned on conversion charges.

“The chief minister Khandu is a Buddhist and is known for respect for all communities. He would not turn the anti-conversion law into a tool to persecute Christians by fulfilling the court order,” Bishop John Thomas Kattrukudiyil, who retired as bishop of Itanagar in 2023, told CNA.

Kattrukudiyil noted that Khandu had even promised to repeal the anti-conversion law when he addressed the Catholic celebration of the decennial memorial service of pioneering Catholic missionary Prem Bhai in 2018. 

On the occasion, Khandu had also expressed concerns that the law “could undermine secularism and is probably targeted towards Christians.” He ultimately never repealed the law.

null / Credit: Andy - Rock News/Shutterstock

Rome Newsroom, Jan 14, 2025 / 14:00 pm (CNA).

The Vatican City State’s first decree regulating the use of artificial intelligence quietly came into effect this month prohibiting discriminatory uses of AI and establishing a special commission to oversee “experimentation” with the new technology at the Vatican.

The decree titled “Guidelines on Artificial Intelligence” was enacted by the Pontifical Commission of Vatican City State and came into effect on Jan. 1 following a low-profile publication on the Vatican government’s website the day before Christmas Eve.

The new regulations set strict prohibitions on uses of AI within Vatican state institutions but do not apply to the entire Roman Curia. 

Among the banned practices are employing AI systems that compromise Vatican City security, implementing AI systems that exclude persons with disabilities from accessing its features, and using AI to draw “anthropological inferences with discriminatory effects on individuals.”

The 13-page decree also forbids AI applications that create social inequalities, violate human dignity, or use “subliminal manipulation techniques” that cause physical or psychological harm to people.

Furthermore, any use of AI that conflicts with the mission of the pope, the integrity of the Catholic Church, or the Vatican’s institutional activities is prohibited.

In an effort to oversee compliance, the decree establishes a five-member “Commission on Artificial Intelligence,” comprising officials from Vatican City’s legal, IT, and security departments. 

This commission is tasked with monitoring AI activities, preparing implementation laws, issuing biannual reports on AI within Vatican City and areas governed under the Lateran Treaty. 

The commission will also evaluate proposals for AI experimentation to ensure alignment with the decree’s ethical framework.

The Vatican guidelines draw inspiration from the European Union’s AI Regulation, which came into force in August, emphasizing a risk-based approach to AI applications. 

While safeguarding existing Vatican laws on data protection and copyright, the decree reinforces principles of transparency, inclusion, and ethical responsibility. It mandates that AI systems prioritize Vatican security, data protection, nondiscrimination, economic sustainability, and care for the environment.

AI-generated content within the Vatican must be clearly labeled as “IA” (intelligenza artificiale), ensuring transparency and distinguishing human creativity from machine outputs. The Vatican also retains copyright over such works.

The decree states that “the use of artificial intelligence must not limit the decision-making power of the subjects responsible for the organization, functioning, and coordination of the personnel of the governorate of the Vatican City State by the administration.”

In addition to outlining general principles, the decree provides specific guidelines for sectors such as health care, cultural heritage, judicial activity, and administrative procedures.

In Vatican courts, AI systems may only be used for research, while the decree stipulates that the actual judicial activity of interpreting the law must be reserved for human judges.

Pope Francis’ advocacy for ethical AI governance has been a driving force behind these new regulations. The decree reflects Francis’ ongoing call for regulations that align with AI ethics, as outlined in the Vatican’s “Rome Call for AI Ethics,” a document calling for transparency, accountability, and social justice in artificial intelligence.

Pope Francis has previously called for an international treaty to regulate AI and urged the G7 summit last year to ban the use of autonomous weapons. 

Despite the prohibitions, the guidelines affirm that “science and technology are a product of human creativity understood as a gift from God and have remedied countless evils that afflicted and limited human beings.” 

Additional Vatican laws implementing the AI regulations and guidelines are expected by the end of 2025.

From left to right: Auxiliary Bishop of the Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region Matthew G. Elshoff, St. Monica pastor Father Lloyd Torgerson, and Corpus Christi pastor Monsignor Liam Kidney celebrate Mass at St. Monica Church with Corpus Christi’s surviving tabernacle next to the altar on Jan. 12, 2025. / Credit: Paul Escala

Seattle, Wash., Jan 14, 2025 / 13:30 pm (CNA).

A lone tabernacle that survived the blaze at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Pacific Palisades has come to epitomize hope for countless families devastated by Southern California’s sweeping wildfires. Despite flames that consumed entire buildings, the metallic container — housing the Eucharist — remained nearly untouched.

“It was covered in soot but preserved,” said Paul Escala, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. “That, to me, is a miraculous sign that even when everything is lost, Christ remains.”

At least two dozen people have died in the fires, fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds and severe drought conditions. Officials estimate thousands of homes and other structures, including churches, were destroyed or severely damaged. 

Initially, more than 100 Catholic schools throughout the archdiocese closed out of safety concerns, a figure that dropped to fewer than 20 by the following Monday, according to Escala.

Pacific Palisades and Altadena are among the hardest-hit regions. Corpus Christi Catholic Church is now reduced to rubble, and entire neighborhoods around it have been wiped out. 

St. Elizabeth School in Altadena has also seen massive disruption, prompting the archdiocese to identify “bridge locations” where displaced families can gather until rebuilding can begin.

Despite the devastation, volunteers have organized swiftly. 

Monsignor Liam Kidney reminded parishioners at a recent Mass — held at nearby St. Monica’s Church, which is sheltering the displaced community — that “the building is not the Church. We are the Church.”

Across Southern California, Catholics have turned parish halls and school gyms into makeshift donation centers. Ascension of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Andrew’s in Pasadena have collected clothing, toiletries, blankets, and toys, while Loyola High School in Los Angeles converted Caruso Hall into a relief station, offering meals, showers, and spare clothing. American Martyrs School in Manhattan Beach opened additional classroom seats to children who lost their homes. 

Donations have poured in from dioceses nationwide. “Toledo, Kansas City, Richmond; you name it,” Escala noted. “People are asking how to help, offering gift cards, trucks of supplies, or even to sponsor entire classrooms. A deacon in Missouri plans to drive donated items here himself. It’s humbling.” 

The archdiocese launched a Wildfire Victims Relief Fund, while Catholic Charities USA continues to collect donations for food, clothing, and temporary housing. Escala’s office is also finalizing a scholarship program so families who lost homes or jobs can keep their children enrolled in Catholic schools.

Some communities narrowly escaped total destruction. 

In Altadena, Deacon José Luis Díaz and parishioners at Sacred Heart Church beat back approaching flames with a single garden hose. “We barely had water pressure,” Díaz told Angelus News, the archdiocese’s media outlet, “but we did whatever we could, and it worked.” 

Elsewhere, the 83-acre Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre lost its garage, hermitage, and parts of its gardens but remained partially standing. “Our faith is tested on fire,” wrote center director Father Febin Barose on social media. “We are pilgrims of hope… We will recover and be back serving you again.”

Archbishop José Gomez underscored the spirit of resilience at a special Mass on Jan. 9 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. 

“Thousands of our neighbors have lost everything,” he said. “We are reminded how precious every life is, and how fragile. We must be instruments of compassion.”

Escala emphasized that many Catholics do not wait for instructions; they respond spontaneously with donations, shelter, and other relief. “They know what to do,” he said, “and they just do it.”

null / Credit: Freedom Studio/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Jan 14, 2025 / 13:00 pm (CNA).

The Catholic bishops’ pro-life chair called for forgiveness of women who have had abortions ahead of the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, reminding the faithful that “no sin is beyond God’s unfathomable mercy.”

Jan. 22 marks the 52nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court ruling that effectively legalized abortion nationwide in the United States. Though Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022 — leaving legal decisions about abortion to the states — its effects can still be felt across the United States.

Bishop Daniel Thomas of Toledo, Ohio, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, called on Catholics to observe Jan. 22 as “a day of prayer and penance.”

“As we prayerfully continue the essential work of restoring full legal protection of all preborn children and supporting parents facing difficult pregnancies, we also recognize our need for asking forgiveness and healing from the Lord for when we have given in to the culture of death,” he said in a USCCB press release. 

Thomas also offered a consoling message to the parents of children who died by abortion. 

“To the parents of children who have died by abortion, I am deeply sorry for your loss. Know that our Lord loves you as his daughters and sons no matter your actions,” Thomas said. “No sin is beyond his unfathomable mercy.” 

“Abortion inflicts deep and lasting wounds on society but more directly on individuals and families,” Thomas continued. “Many mothers and fathers may feel they have no choice except abortion. Some are pressured or coerced.” 

“No matter the circumstances of the abortion, we must recognize the often-silent grief of parents for their child and their despair of being worthy of the love and forgiveness of God and others.”

Thomas encouraged the faithful to turn to hope amid the jubilee year, centered on the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.” 

“Hope allows those who have been involved in abortion to turn to God and repent, confident that he will forgive and make them whole,” Thomas said. 

“This Jan. 22 and beyond, we need to be reassured that Jesus himself, who is the source of our hope, was first wounded for our offenses and suffered for every sin of ours, including abortion.”

Thomas invited families suffering from wounds due to abortion to “seek support” from the Church’s various ministries, such as the healing ministry Project Rachel. Project Rachel offers grief support after losing a child by abortion. Many other resources exist for those facing unplanned pregnancies, including local crisis pregnancy centers and maternity homes for pregnant women and women with young children. 

Thomas also invited those who are Catholic to seek out the sacrament of reconciliation. 

“Jesus greatly desires our repentant hearts and invites us into an encounter with him. For Catholics, the sacrament of reconciliation is always available for those seeking God’s forgiveness, hope, and peace.” 

The bishop called on Catholics everywhere to pray for those suffering from the wounds of abortion. 

“Please join me in praying that God will fill the hearts of mothers and fathers suffering the emotional and psychological wounds from abortion with the hope of forgiveness that only he can give,” Thomas said.

Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin arrives prior to a Mass for the consecration of the church at the site of Jesus’ baptism on Jan. 10, 2025, in Al-Maghtas, Jordan. Pope Francis appointed Parolin as papal legate to consecrate the Church of the Baptism of Jesus at Al-Maghtas, also known as “Bethany Beyond the Jordan.” Parolin met with 14 Middle East pontifical representatives in Jordan on Jan. 13, 2025, to discuss challenges in the region including ongoing hostilities there. / Credit: Salah Malkawi/Getty Images

Rome Newsroom, Jan 14, 2025 / 09:35 am (CNA).

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin met with 14 Middle East pontifical representatives in Jordan on Monday to discuss challenges in the region including ongoing hostilities there.

Parolin met with the papal representatives of Bahrain, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, and Yemen.

According to a Jan. 13 statement from the Holy See, Parolin met with the religious leaders to discuss the current crises affecting the region, including the need for Christians to address the serious political and humanitarian situations affecting the countries’ populations.

“Hope was expressed that there would soon be a cessation of hostilities on all fronts and that the Middle East could be a land of peace,” the statement read.

“Christians remain an essential element of fraternal coexistence among the various religions and of the progress of the respective nations,” the statement continued.

Parolin’s meeting with the Middle East representatives comes days after his participation in the Jan. 10 consecration of the Church of the Baptism of Jesus at Al-Maghtas — the historic baptismal site of Our Lord also known as “Bethany Beyond the Jordan.”

During the Jan. 10 Mass celebration, Parolin reiterated Pope Francis’ desire for the whole Church to be closely united with Christian communities of the Middle East.

Vatican News reported the pope’s secretary of state also had a phone call with Lebanon’s new President-elect Joseph Aoun.

“His Eminence [Parolin] congratulated him on his election to the presidency of the republic and extended his best wishes, assuring him of his prayers,” Vatican News reported, quoting a Holy See Press Office statement.

Aoun, a Maronite Catholic, is the only Christian national leader in the Middle East region. Prior to his Jan. 9 election Lebanon had been without a president since October 2022.

In 2024, Pope Francis used his Dec. 1 Angelus address to invite Catholics to pray especially for peace for peoples in Lebanon, Israel, Gaza, Palestine, and Syria, which have been impacted by political turmoil, violence, displacement, and inadequate access to humanitarian assistance.

During the Dec. 1 address, the pontiff also included an urgent plea for Lebanese authorities to elect a president “immediately” and promote the country’s role in the region to be an “example of peaceful coexistence between different religions” in the region.

Pope Francis greets pilgrims from his wheelchair during the Saturday jubilee audience in the Vatican’s audience hall on Jan. 11, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Madrid, Spain, Jan 14, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

“Hope,” the autobiography of Pope Francis, hit the shelves of Italian bookstores Tuesday and will be on sale starting Jan. 16 in more than 100 countries.

The book marks the first time a pope has provided a first-person narration of the episodes that have marked his entire life, in this case from his childhood in Argentina in a family of Italian immigrants to becoming the successor of St. Peter.

Published by Random House in its 320-page English edition, the book is the result of six years of work and was written with the collaboration of journalist Carlo Musso, who helped the Holy Father tell his story.

In addition to his memoirs, in the book the pope takes up issues such as war and peace, immigration, the environmental crisis, social policy, sexuality, and the future of the Catholic Church. All of this under the rubric of hope, a theme that is also being highlighted during the 2025 Jubilee.

In a recent interview, Pope Francis said the book was originally planned to be published following his death. “But since I’m not dying (he laughs), they’re afraid that it will lose relevance and they decided to do it now,” the Holy Father explained last December in a conversation with Argentine journalist Bernarda Llorente.

The pontiff, according to the excerpts released by the publishing house, begins his memoirs with an episode that marked his destiny: the sinking of the transatlantic ship Princesa Mafalda, known as the “Italian Titanic.”

His grandparents, together with his father, Mario, bought tickets to sail on the ship that left Genoa on Oct. 11, 1927, bound for Buenos Aires. However, they ultimately didn’t board the vessel because they were unable to sell their belongings in time. “That’s why I am here now; you can’t imagine how many times I have thanked Divine Providence for it,” the pontiff recounts in his autobiography.

He also brings up memories from his childhood at “531 Membrillar Street” in the Flores neighborhood of Buenos Aires, as well as the friendships he forged there, including with a prostitute known as “La Parota,” who decided to change her life and leave the streets to care for the elderly.

‘Healthy irony’ as a medicine to counter narcissism

The Holy Father devotes a large amount of space in his autobiography to reflecting on the value of a sense of humor to deal with sadness and “healthy irony” as a medicine to counter narcissism.

“Irony is medicine, not only to elevate and enlighten others but also for oneself, because self-irony is a powerful tool to overcome the temptation of narcissism. Narcissists continually look in the mirror, they get all primped up, they observe themselves over and over again, but the best advice in front of a mirror is always to laugh at oneself. It will do us good,” the pope comments in the book.

Throughout its pages, the reader will even find some jokes told by the pope himself. The Italian newspaper Avvenire gave a preview of one of them:

“And they also told me one that concerns me directly, that of Pope Francis in America. It goes more or less like this: As soon as he lands at the New York airport for his apostolic trip to the United States, Pope Francis finds an enormous limousine waiting for him. He is a little embarrassed by all that pomp, but then he thinks that he hasn’t driven in ages, and never a car like that, and in short he says to himself: Well, when will I get another chance? He looks at the limousine and asks the driver: ‘Would you let me try it?’ And the driver: ‘Look, I’m really sorry, Your Holiness, but I just can’t do it, you know the procedures, the protocols…’ 

“But you know how they say the pope is when he gets something into his head; in short he insists and insists, until the guy gives in. Pope Francis then gets behind the wheel on one of those major streets and ... gets a taste for it, starts to press on the accelerator: going 50, 80, 120... Until a siren is heard and a police car pulls up alongside him and stops him. 

“A young policeman approaches the tinted window, the slightly intimidated pope rolls it down and the man turns pale. ‘Excuse me a minute,’ he says, and goes back to his car to call the station. ‘Chief... I think I have a problem.’ And the chief says, ‘What problem?’ ‘Well, I stopped a car for speeding... but there’s a really important guy in it.’ ‘How important? Is he the mayor?’ ‘No, chief, more than the mayor...’ ‘And who is more than the mayor? The governor?’ ‘No, more...’ ‘But is he the president?’ ‘More, I think...’ ‘And who could possibly be more important than the president?’ ‘Look, chief, I don’t know exactly who he is, but I’ll just tell you that the pope is his chauffeur!’”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Aerial view from Flores Island, Indonesia. / Credit: Livre Partida/Shutterstock

Rome Newsroom, Jan 14, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Indonesian Archbishop Paulus Budi Kleden, SVD, has spoken out against government-backed geothermal projects in Flores, the country’s most Catholic island located in East Nusa Tenggara.

According to UCA News, Indonesia’s Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry designated Flores a “geothermal spot” in 2017, identifying 16 project sites on the island in spite of strong opposition from local villagers.

“After hearing testimonies from several people, from Sokoria and Mataloko, and discussions with several priests, I have decided to reject geothermal projects in three vicariates,” Kleden said in a Jan. 10 video message.

Kleden, who became archbishop of Ende in August 2024, said residents have complained of the depletion of water springs in Sokoria and hot mud eruptions in Mataloko, UCA News reported.   

Kleden is the first Indonesian archbishop to speak out publicly against the government’s energy plans in Flores, insisting that the projects have triggered a life-threatening “ecological disaster” on the island.

In addition to encouraging priests in the Ende Archdiocese to take a stand against the social and environmental harm caused by mining activities, Kleden said local residents should be encouraged to seek appropriate legal advice to protect their land.

The Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Commission (JPIC) of the Franciscans and Divine Word congregations — who are both active and outspoken about mining in Flores — welcomed moves by the Indonesian government to protect environmental activists in September 2024 following violent 2023 protests in Poco Leok that involved Catholic student activists and Indigenous communities calling for the protection of customary land in Flores.

Father Simon Suban Tukan, JPIC coordinator for the Society of the Divine Word in West Flores, told UCA News that the new law is important to protect the rights of environmental activists who feel threatened by a “government agenda that emphasizes investment.” 

Besides religious institutions, international organizations have also responded to the mounting local opposition against geothermal plans in Flores. In October 2023, the World Bank canceled its financial support for one project on the island.

The Amerigo Vespucci Italian naval ship. / Credit: Superchilum, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, Jan 13, 2025 / 17:15 pm (CNA).

The Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian naval ship named after the 15th-century explorer that inspired the name “America,” has been designated a 2025 Jubilee church.

Archbishop Santo Marcianò of the Military Ordinariate of Italy officially designated the ship as a jubilee church for 2025, according to a Jan. 9 statement from the ship’s press office.

He explained that the ship’s chaplain, Don Mauro Medaglini, “will have the task of accompanying the sailors in this precious time of the jubilee. During its long navigation, the Vespucci has always had the presence of several chaplains who have alternated, silently but very effectively, accompanying the spiritual life of the crew, and they will do so in a particular way in this year of the Jubilee of Hope.”

The ship, which dates back to 1931, has been touring the world as a cultural ambassador for Italy since July 2023. During its journey, the Amerigo Vespucci has stopped in places including Los Angeles; Tokyo; Mumbai, India; Doha, Qatar; and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, among others. 

Despite not having a designated chapel onboard, the ship’s chaplain is able to celebrate Mass on the quarterdeck, a structure raised above the deck, when weather permits, or in an atrium inside.

The statement said that the Amerigo Vespucci will be a jubilee site “for sacred pilgrimages and for pious visits among its missions at sea.”

“The church that lives among the military also wants to establish signs during the jubilee year that express that hope that the church and the world await from God, and which God entrusts to the military world,” Marcianò said on the designation. “These certainly include the sacred jubilee sites, through which our military can attain the spiritual benefits originating from the jubilee indulgence.”

One way Catholics can obtain a plenary indulgence during the jubilee year is by making a pilgrimage to their cathedral or to another church or shrine selected by the local bishop. Other ways include making a pilgrimage to Rome, praying in certain churches in Rome, performing works of mercy, fasting from social media, and volunteering.

Nicaraguan Vice President Rosario Murillo (left) and her husband, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega / Credit: Inti Ocon/AFP via Getty Images

ACI Prensa Staff, Jan 13, 2025 / 16:45 pm (CNA).

The new year has seen the Nicaraguan dictatorship cancel the legal personhood of 15 nonprofit organizations, adding to the more than 5,400 nongovernmental organizations shut down since 2018 by the regime of President Daniel Ortega and his wife and “co-president,” Rosario Murillo.

The official government newspaper La Gaceta announced on Jan. 8 the “voluntary dissolution” of 11 of these organizations, including Save the Children and the Dominican Nuns Foundation of Nicaragua.

According to its website, Save the Children has been working in the Central American country since 1986. “Save the Children’s work in Nicaragua centers on four program areas: education, health and nutrition, child rights governance, and child protection in addition to having the ability to respond to potential humanitarian situations,” the organization indicated, adding that it had 46 people working in Managua and Matagalpa.

Also among the 11 organizations that were “voluntarily dissolved” are the Ebenezer Christian Missionary Foundation, the Fundamental Baptist Church Association of Matagalpa, and the Help for Nicaragua Foundation.

Four of the 15 organizations were canceled “for failing to comply with their obligations”: the Nicaraguan House of Spirituality, Culture, History, Anthropology, Archaeology, and Art Foundation; the Comprehensive Services Association for Women; the Christ Is Coming Pentecost Ministry Foundation; and the Río Prinzapolka Foundation.

The decision to cancel the 15 organizations was made known through two ministerial agreements approved by the minister of the interior, María Amelia Coronel Kinloch.

In 2024, the dictatorship canceled approximately 1,700 nonprofit organizations. On Aug. 19 of last year alone, the dictatorship closed a total of 1,500 organizations, of which 678 were Christian, including Catholic and evangelical entities.

In its 2025 global report, the evangelical organization International Christian Concern charged that the dictatorship has used the Ministry of the Interior to persecute “hundreds of churches, aid groups, and other religious organizations” and had closed down 315 religious organizations in 2023.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.